Surface marker



Feb. 20, 1934. L, E CL U H 1,948,335

SURFACE MARKER Filed March 25, 1930 lNVE OR .5 Pi 5. LAae Clnugh Emmi ATTORNEE 2. Sheets-Sheet l i Feb. 20; 1934. E U 1,948,335

SURFACE MARKER Filed March 25, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Lee E. Clnugh BY CVGMA Q ATTORN EYS I Patented Feb. 20,1934 I I UNITED STATESPATE/NT OFFICE 1,948,335 SURFACE MARKER Lee E. Clough, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The General Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 25, 1930. Serial No. 438,746

12 Claims. (01. 94-15) This invention relates to markers for surface Fig. 9 is a plan view of a stop sign made up by areas, particularly for the designation of segreusing the marker strip material described herein.

gated areas, trafiic. zones, and for traflic instruc- The marker forming the subject matterheretion through letter-bearing markers and design of comprises a main body portion 1, that is the forms. visible portion of the marker and that is anchored 60 An object of this invention is to provide a in place by a depending portion 2, that is secured marker formed of a wear-resisting rubber comin place in 'a suitable groove 3, formed in the pavep dment where the marker is applied, as shown in Another object is to provide a pavement markthe accompanying drawings. The marker strip er which may be readily installed. 1 is anchored in place by suitable expander plugs 65 Another object is to provide a marker strip 4,'as particularly shown in Fig. 4. with means for easily and permanently locking In' the body portion of the marker strip, a sethe marker strip into a pavement or other surries of spaced apertures are formed along the face. median portion thereof. The end portions of 3 Afurther object is to provideamarker adapted the strip are preferably rounded as at 6. The 70 to present day trafiic requirements and capable edge portions '7 of the strip that overlie the paveof permanent service under severe traffic condiment are also preferably slightly rounded as intions. dicated at 8. The end portions may also be out Another object is to'provide a pavement markstraight across, as shown in Fig. 9, if such is deer of low initial cost and minimum maintenance sirable. 76 expense. The depending anchor portion 2 is formed in- Another object is toprovide a pavement marker tegral with the body portion, and preferably comthat is constructed to exclude objectionable colprises a pair of spaced flanges 9, shown in Fig. 3', lection of water around the anchor portion as they appear prior to installation. The groove" 35 thereof. formed by the spaced flanges 9 opens upwardly 60 Another object is to provide a pavement mark into the apertures 5. The longitudinal end porer of flexible form that may be arranged to protions of these flanges may be connected if devide diiferent legends suitable for instruction to sired'to provide better anchorage at the ends of traflic. the strip. A preferred embodiment of the invention is il- The marker is locked in place by the use of so lustrated in the acc mp drawings, wherein suitable expander or anchor plugs 4 embodying Figure 1 s a perspective View Showing marker a barrel shaped expander portion 11 surmounted strips set in the pavement, with parts broken by a cap portion 12 that is formed integral away; therewith. These plugs are preferably made of Fig. 2 is a pla vi of the er S rip set in hard rubber, so that they will wear down at 90 the pavement; substantially the same rate as the marker strip.

Fig. 3 is a persp ct v View Of the marker S p Any desired material, such as metal, rubber comshown in section at one of the holes for receiving position, or other material may be used, howthe expander plugs; ever, with good results. 40 Fi 4 is an elevational i of an expander In the preferred embodiment of this invention 95 p us u ed to secure the marker in c the depending anchor portion of the marker Fig. 5 is a transverse section through the strip is housed in the pavement by a groove 3 marker St ip embedded in the Pavement, taken having upwardly converging walls 14 terminating along lines of in overhanging shoulders 15 and preferably pro- Fig. 6 shows a transverse section through the vided with slightly raised and outwardly declin- 100 marker strip, illustrat a d d m '0 ing edge portions 16 of the same length as the groove liner for embedding the anchor portion of anchor portions of the marker strip. the St p in the pavement; The marker strip is very quickly and easily in- Fig. 7 shows a transverse section through the stalled. The anchor portion 2 of the strip is marker strip using a further modified form of dropped into the groove 3 and the anchor plugs 105 g e liner adapted to a groove a g raise 4 are forced into position between the spaced and inclined shoulders; flanges 9 by pressure applied upon the top of Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the metal groove the cap portion 12. The anchor plugs are in liner shown in Fig. 7 before it is embedded in serted through the apertures 5 of the body porthe pavement; and tion. 11o

The insertion of the anchor plug places the flanges of the anchor portions of the marker strip into permanent compression against the side walls of the pavement groove, thereby securely anchoring the marker strip into place and forming substantially a water and dust-proof seal for the mouth of the groove 3. The plug, being of rigid material, supports such weights as are applied upon its cap portions without substantial vertical displacement, thereby preserving the seal of apertures 5 and the seal at the mouth of the groove.

It will readily be seen that this marker strip easily adapts itself to several useful modifications. One such modification is shown in Fig. 9. The series of letters here shown, forming the conventional stop sign, are built up of marker strip material such as that shown in Fig. 3, or these individual letters, or parts thereof, may be molded to form.

Further modification of the marker strip may be advisable in regions of heavy traffic or excessive moisture and dust condition wherein the depending anchor portion of the marker strip is of solid construction with openings therein below and connected with the apertures in the body portion. The anchor plugs are forced into these openings in the manner described. Also the edge of the groove may be level or uninclined, as shown in Fig. 6, or the groove may be replaced by a row of holes into each of which an anchor portion with its accompanying expansion plug is received.

It may be desirable to reinforce the side walls and shoulders of the groove 3 by the use of a suitable metal liner 1'7 that is embedded in the concrete of the road structure, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The form shown in Fig. 6 is preferably provided with anchor tongues 18. The liner form shown in Figs. 7 and 8 comprises a pair of side portions 19 and 20 that are suitably spaced by a bottom member 21 that is welded thereto. The liner metal is preferably of a character that will not corrode or rust under service conditions.

The marker strip is preferably made of rubber composition, such as cushion tire or tread rubber stock.

The expansion inserts are preferably formed of hard rubber, or rubber and fabric composi a surface having a recess therein provided with overhanging edge portions, comprising a body portion, a depending anchor portion composed of elastic, deformable material, an aperture through said body portion communicating with an aperture in the anchor portion, and a plug insertable through the aperture of the body portion into the aperture of the anchor portion, said plug being formed with a bulging portion for materially enlarging the lateral dimension of the anchor portion to secure the marker in place within the recess in the surface to be marked.

2. A road marker for use in combination with a surface having a groove therein provided with overhanging edge portions, comprising a body portion of desired shape and a depending anchor portion having. an elongated aperture, longitudinally spaced apertures through said body portion communicating with the aperture in the anchor portion, and a plurality of plugs insertable through the apertures of the body portion into the aperture of the anchor portion, each plug having a bulging portion for materially enlarging the lateral dimension of the anchor portion to secure the marker in place within the groove in the surface to be marked.

3. A road marker for use in combination with a surface having a groove therein provided with overhanging edge portions, comprising a body portion and a depending anchor portion composed of elastic deformable material, apertures through said body portion communicating with an aperture in the anchor portion, and plugs insertable through the apertures of the body portion into the aperture of the anchor portion, each plug having a bulging portion for materially enlarging the lateral dimension of the anchor portion to secure the marker in place within the groove in the surface to be marked. 4

4. The combination with a surface having a groove therein, of an insert of metal permanently embedded within said groove and provided with overhanging shoulder portions at the mouth of the groove, and a marker comprising a deformable rubber body portion, a depending anchor portion carried by the body portion and housed in said metal insert, apertures through said body portion communicating with an aperture in the anchor portion, and means insertable through said body portion formaterially enlarging the lateral dimension of the anchor portion underlying the aforesaid shoulders to secure the marker in place within the groove in the surface to be marked.

5. An elastic rubber road marker for use in combination with a surface having a groove therein provided with overhanging edge portions, comprising a body portion, a depending anchor portion adapted to be received in said groove and having side members, apertures through said body portion communicating with the space between the side members of the anchor portion, and means insertable through the body portion into the space between the side members of the depending anchonportion for materially enlarging the lateral dimension of the anchor portion to secure the marker in place.

6. A rubber road marker for use in combination with a surface having a groove therein provided with overhanging edge portions, comprising a body portion, a deformable anchor portion integral therewith and having spaced side members, apertures through said body portion communicating with the spaces between said side members, and a plug insertable through the apertures of the body portion having bulging portions engageable with the side members for laterally expanding the anchor portion to form a substantially water-tight seal.

7. The combination with a pavement having a groove in the surface thereof with upwardly converging walls, of a metal liner permanently disposed within said groove, and a flexible marker of elastic rubber composition material comprising a body portion projecting laterally beyond the edges of said groove, a depending anchor portion integral with the body portion and housed within said metal insert, said body and anchor portions of said marker having apertures extending therethrough from the surface of said body portion, and means insertable through said apertures for materially enlarging the lateral dimension of the anchor portion and serving to compress the material of said anchor portion to secure the marker in place within the groove.

8. A road marker for use in combination with the crowned portion of a surface having a groove formed along said crown, comprising an apertured rubber body portion having a lower face converging upwardly inwardly of the lateral edges of said body portion, a deformable anchor portion continuously apertured with said body portion and of material continuously homogeneous with said body portion and a solid substantially barrel-shaped plug of maximum diameter greater than that of the aperture formed in said anchor portion.

9. A surface marker of elastic rubber, comprising a body portion having spaced apertures therein, an expansible anchor portion integral with the body portion and having, an aperture aligned with each of the apertures of the body portion, said aperture in the anchor portion having a restricted neck portion at its junction with the apertures in the body portion, and expander plugs adapted to be inserted in said apertures, each plug having an end portion of a size to fit in an aperture of the body portion and a bulging portion for entry into the aperture of the expansible anchor portion for laterally distending said anchor portion.

10. The combination with a pavement having a markerreceivingrecessprovidedwith overhanging edge portions at the top thereof, of an elastic rubber marker having a body portion of greater width than the opening and a depending anchor portion of a size to enter the recess between the overhanging edges thereof, said marker having an aperture from the top thereof through the body into the anchor portion, and a tapering expanding plug having a portion of greater transverse dimension than the aperture in the anchor portion of the marker adapted to be inserted through said body portion and into the anchor portion to expand said anchor portion beneath the overhanging edges of the recess.

1 11. A road marker for use in combination with a surface having a groove therein provided with overhanging edge portions, comprising an elongated body portion of greater width than the groove and a depending longitudinal anchor portion of a width to enter the groove between the overhanging edges thereof, apertures extending through the body portion, each communicatin with an aperture in the anchor portion, plugs insertable through the apertures of the body portion into the anchor portion, each plug having a portion of greater transverse dimension than the aperture in the anchor portion whereby the plugs expand the anchor portion laterally and compress the same in the recess beneath the overhanging edges thereof.

12. A road marker for use in combination with a surface having a'groove therein provided with overhanging edge portions, comprising an elongated body portion of greater width than the groove and a depending longitudinal anchor por-. tion of a width to enter the gfoove between the overhanging edges thereof, apertures extending through the body portion, each communicating with an aperture in the anchor portion, plugs insertable through the apertures of the body portion into the anchor portion, each plug having an enlarged portion intermediate its ends for expanding said anchor portion laterally and compressing the same in the recess beneath the overhanging edges thereof and an upper end portion of a size to substantially fit in the aperture of the body portion.

LEE E. CLOUGH. 

